Mom has dementia and recently moved into assited living. My sister claims she got mom to sign a POA. Mom says no way she didnt. Sister won't show me the "so called POA" what should I do? She is planning a remodel of moms home and renting it out. Help!
If your mother is still lucid enough to understand the concept of POA and if she does not want to have Sister hold that authority, she can simply revoke the so-called POA and assign it to someone else, or to nobody.
Is Medicaid in the picture, now or in the future?
Secondly, if Mom is on Medicaid now (not Medicare - MedicAID), or will be in the near future, using Mom's money to remodel the home so it can be rented out (thus, causing income) could be a problem. Medicaid does a 5-year lookback, and if Mom has divested (sold/given away) any assets or has income in excess of what Medicaid allows, there is going to be either a penalty period or a spend-down required before she will be qualified for Medicaid.
If Mom is saying she didn't sign a POA, that may be true - or she may not remember, since you say she has dementia. She may have signed in a lucid moment and then forgotten she did it.